Hirose Memorial Museum

Hirose Memorial Museum Traces the History of an Industrialist in the Meiji Period

During the tumultuous transition from the Edo to the Meiji period, Saihei Hirose protected the Besshi Copper Mine from requisition by the government and from sale due to financial difficulties at Sumitomo, while promoting the modernization and development of the mine. He also devoted himself to nurturing Japanese industry and contributed to the development of Japan. Following in the footsteps of Hirose, the museum traces the early years of Niihama and the industrialization of Japan.

Hirose was born in 1828 as the second son of a physician in Shiga Prefecture. He left home at the age of nine and eventually made his way to Besshi Copper Mine, where he devoted himself to the promotion of Japan’s industrialization, busily supporting management of the mine and modernizing mining, refining, and land transportation.

Hirose’s accomplishments include engaging the services of a foreign engineer, mechanization of work, the use of dynamite, and the introduction of Japan’s first mountain railway, innovations that dramatically increased the efficiency of mine operation. He also participated in the founding of the Osaka Chamber of Commercial Law and Osaka Shosen Kaisha (OSK Lines) shipping line.

The museum consists of two parts: an exhibition hall and a residence. The exhibition hall traces the accomplishments of Saihei Hirose using artifacts and videos. The former Hirose residence, which combined Hirose’s home and a guesthouse for visitors, has been designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. The museum offers a multifaceted perspective on the changes leading up to the modernization of Japan.

Exhibition Hall

The exhibition hall traces the accomplishments of Saihei Hirose using documents and photographs, videos, models, and other exhibits. The building’s exterior design evokes the image of a ship setting out to sea. Standing at the entrance to the site is a life-size statue of Saihei Hirose, which is based on a wooden mold by sculptor Koun Takamura.

Inside the exhibition hall, the visitor first enters a kind of observatory offering a fine view of the Akaishi Mountains and Hiuchinada Bay in the Seto Inland Sea. A periscope-like arrangement enables visitors to enjoy a panorama that cannot be seen directly from inside the museum. It is named the Modern Boenro (literally Smoke Viewing Observatory) after a feature of the former Hirose residence from where Saihei enjoyed viewing the smoke rising from the mine and from steamships traversing the bay, symbolizing the growing prosperity of Niihama.

After passing through a diorama that reproduces a cutting of the Besshi mine railway, visitors are introduced to Hirose’s life and work through videos, historical materials, and display panels covering several themes.

The diorama reproduces a cutting of the Besshi mine railway.The rocks on both sides were reproduced from impressions taken on-site.

Exhibits include a set of three paintings by Kanō Tan'yū, one of the foremost painters in the Edo Period. The central painting depicting Jurojin, the god of longevity, is flanked by paintings of cranes to the left and right. The paintings were given to Hirose by the house of Sumitomo as a commemorative gift upon his retirement.

Embedded in the floor surface is a large aerial photograph of Niihama City, which provides an overhead view of an old oxcart path, railway ruins, and other local features.

Former Hirose Residence

The main building of the former Hirose residence, consisting of Hirose’s home and a guesthouse for entertaining, was built in 1877, and a tatami room and a garden were added in 1889. The residence has been designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan.

The residence, while maintaining traditional Japanese architectural style, incorporates the new cultural elements of a fireplace, Western-style toilet, glass windowpanes, and a lightning rod. The result is a splendid harmony of styles.

From a room named the Boenro (Smoke Viewing Observatory) on the second floor of the main building, a panorama of Niihama City unfolds before one’s eyes.

Alongside a garden pond in the shape of the kanji character for heart stand an elegant teahouse and arbor.

The living room where Hirose used to spend a lot of his time. The room has a fireplace, and the sliding doors have glass panes placed at Hirose’s eye level while seated so that he could observe the servants going to and fro.

A spacious kitchen. The residence was laid out with the front gate, entranceway, tatami rooms, and kitchen in a straight line.

The panoramic view of Niihama from the Boenro on the second floor. The name Boenro is connected with a poem written by Hirose.

Museum Hours

Museum hours:

9:30 AM to 5:30 PM (visitors admitted until 5:00 PM)

Closed days:

Mondays, days following public holidays (except Sundays), and December 29-January 3

Admission Fee

Standard fee

¥520

Group (20 or more)

¥420

Niihama City residents aged 65 or older (*2)

¥260

Persons with a physical disability certificate, rehabilitation certificate, or intellectual disability certificate and up to one accompanying person

¥260

Junior high school students and younger

Free of charge

*1 Admission tickets can be purchased at the exhibition hall or former Hirose residence. (One ticket is good for admission to both buildings.)*2 City residents aged 65 or older are requested to provide proof of age and address (such as a driver’s license).